CRC Health Group is extremely proud to work with State authorities that provide support for people with substance abuse treatment needs. West Virginia has been a strong supporter of substance abuse treatment services. Without treatment, chronic drug and alcohol abuse becomes a disaster for families, employers, law enforcement and the community. We commend the efforts of HHS and Sheila Kelly, Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, for the clinically sound and comprehensive set of regulations that now govern the operation of methadone treatment clinics.CRC Health Group provides nationwide treatment services for science-based substance abuse and behavioral health disorders. We also own and operate a number of opiate treatment clinics in West Virginia. We are very proud to be the largest drug and alcohol treatment provider in the nation. CRC is dedicated to providing the absolute highest quality care to our patients. We focus on achieving the lowest possible relapse rates. We focus on outcome-based evidence of treatment effectiveness for opiate addiction.I am concerned that the recent rash of negative publicity and political commentary on methadone treatment might lead to unwise changes to treatment regulations that are not consistent with science. Changes that are not consistent with evidenced-based clinical protocols will adversely affect treatment outcomes and therefore negatively impact West Virginia communities and families.I have fought for greater public awareness of the benefits of science-based drug treatment from the time that I served as Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (1996-2001) to the present. This issue is so crucial that I wanted to express my concern directly.Science-based methadone maintenance treatment helps those addicted to opiates sustain their recovery. The result is less crime, fewer emergency room admissions, more citizens working, and less suffering for families and the community. More individuals contribute in taxes instead of costing in health or imprisonment. We are proud of our CRC support of West Virginia's drug and alcohol treatment system. Our clinics make a huge difference in the battle against heroin and OxyContin addiction.Heroin has always been a problematic drug in the United States, but recent reports show a tripling over the last five years in abuse of "the new heroin," opiate painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Dilaudid, Codeine, Morphine and Fentanyl. Teens are the latest to come into this trend - and perhaps the saddest to see in prison. Some 4.5 million youths, or 19 percent of U.S. teenagers, reported taking prescription painkillers, according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America last year.

Since 1967, Pathways, Inc., has proudly served as a community-based center for mental health care, the prevention and treatment of alcohol and other addictions, and services for individuals with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. Together, these services provide a network to promote the emotional health and well-being of our citizens and communities. Pathways operates more than 50 facilities in a ten-county region and continues to grow. More than 500 employees provide complete and professional services.

The Pathways philosophy is to provide a complete package of prevention and treatment services designed to meet community needs. Through these unified services, we seek to promote the growth of people toward higher levels of functioning, greater self-esteem, emotional maturity, competence, and self-responsibility.

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Since 1967, Pathways, Inc., has proudly served as a community-based center for mental health care, the prevention and treatment of alcohol and other addictions, and services for individuals with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. Together, these services provide a network to promote the emotional health and well-being of our citizens and communities. Pathways operates more than 50 facilities in a ten-county region and continues to grow. More than 500 employees provide complete and professional services.

The Pathways philosophy is to provide a complete package of prevention and treatment services designed to meet community needs. Through these unified services, we seek to promote the growth of people toward higher levels of functioning, greater self-esteem, emotional maturity, competence, and self-responsibility.